Ironman Challenge: Level 20 achieved.

So I got a chance to work on Ironkerion this past weekend and push his way all the way through Silverpine Forest and up to level 21. I must say that compared to things I’ve been hearing from my fellow challenger over at The Tome of the Ancient I’m thinking that a warlock has been definitely a boon to Ironkerion’s success. After completing the Tirisfal quest line to completion (though the final quest with Ms. Voss bugged out on me and I got disconnected. Quest still got completed, but the paternal slaughter? Definitely missed.), I ventured down south into the Silverpine Forest to meet up with the Banshee Queen.

I’ve done the Silverpine questline in whole about 3 times now and I must say, it really does quite a bit in terms of making the Forsaken seem justified in their actions. Granted, most of Hillsbrad undoes that, but I find myself hard pressed to find a reason that the Alliance should have a stake in Lordaeron. Oh I’m sure there are reasons. They always have reasons, but when lined up to the Forsaken’s reasons… eh, I’ve got to agree with the forsaken. However, in regards to Gilneas – Gilneas is not part of Lordaeron. Heck, neither is Hillsbrad, Alterac, or Arathor for that matter. They were part of the Alliance of Lordaeron, but that’s like saying every country in the United Nations is part of America because their club house is in New York. If Sylvanas is referring to the entire continent of Lordaeron… then no, sorry, that doesn’t belong to the Forsaken by default. In fact, I’m sure your Sin’dorei relatives would probably take issue with that statement too, since Quel’thalas is part of the continent of Lordaeron. However, since the fall of the Seven Kingdoms between the scourge and the Third War (and that little incident with Deathwing probably didn’t help matters), the entire continent has been more or less a state of nature. In fact the only reason Gilneas and Kul Tiras survived was due to their seperationist tendencies, and now that they wall is open… sorry Greymane, a new challenger has appeared.

Because I promised to try to smooth things out...

Questing in Silverpine on Ironkerion wasn’t really that difficult until the end. Once you get to the point where you are sent into Gilneas to assist the front lines, that’s when things started to get a little hairy. My voidwalker, while easily keeping threat, didn’t have the health to stand up to two 7th Legion soldiers at once. I died many times attempting to penetrate Gilneas City and peer through its ridiculously oversized telescope. I was able to kill the completely optional elite Ettin that wandered the Gilnean countryside though. I simply dotted him with everything I could and health funneled my blueberry. When the blueberry eventually died, it was just a matter of fearing the ettin away long enough to soul burn summon another voidwalker for immediate disposal (They hate me soooo much. I just know it.) Using this process, I eventually killed the ettin and claimed the start-a-quest item he drops for a fabulous new ring that I sold to some random forsaken vendor (I can only imagine that they find this mildly insulting. I’m wearing whites and vendor trash and keep selling all the nice rewards they give me. And yet I’m still revered with them.)

That was my reaction as well.

The other place that was tricky was penetrating the Kirin Tor bubble (oh god that sounds dirty). While the elementals that patrol the non-phased bubble, and the mages around the crater, were spaced out far enough that there weren’t issues, the phased bubble was a pink, sparkley death trap of doom. The mages were so packed in places, I was pulling 2-3 at every turn and I will not hesitate to tell you I died a few times trying to get out of their town hall. Once I reached the witchaloks, it was much easier. They summoned wolfoids but luckily I was prepared because I read ‘Lord of the God-Kings‘ before venturing into mage territory. Did I have three wand-claws bursting from each of my hands? No. I am a warlock. I have warlock stuff. Warlock stuff instantly beats any mage stuff. The internet told me so. However, I did jack one of their dresses.

Those were the two biggest problem areas really. Other than that the mobs were sparse enough that I only had one at a time on my voidwalker, and if they hit too hard I could always funnel him up. Ironkerion himself can’t take too many hits. Maybe 10 direct smacks and he’s down. Thank the nether that I have a tank-in-a-box.

Oh, also this:

Double Lord Godfrey! What does this MEAN?!

Next up: Hillsbrad. I try to not murder Johnny Awesome, and attempt to justify playing a forsaken some more. Wish Ironkerion luck!

I adore the Forksaken questline (I do it a LOT) and of course… I ❤ Johnny Awesome. Be nice to him… he's sooooo pwetty 😉

I'm a bit warlocked out, so I think I might try a priest. I'm slightly reluctant because, from what I've seen from my other low level priests, they seem to have quite large mana regen issues. If only blood elves could be shammies or druids…

Honestly, i don’t think Blood Elf druids are out of the question for future expansions. There’s a sin’dorei druid in the Botanica, there’s a druid trainer in Silvermoon (no shaman trainer. *grumbles*), and I can easily see that aspect of the Farstriders developing into a more druidic hunter path like the tauren.

So glad you updated us. I’m at a slight disadvantage because I’ve played so little as horde and never done the quest lines you describe, but that’s what I love about this game, there is always something that you haven’t done, and therefore always something to have a go at. Huge congrats on getting to 21! I suspect things are gonna get really tough from here-on in, and I am following every Iron-man and woman with great interest.

I’m looking forward to finding that breaking point where I can’t kill a mob faster than it can kill me. It’s really kind of a win/win. If I get to 85, challenge completed. If I find the absolute limit of progression within the limitations, experiment successful. 😀

But I am expecting a leap in difficulty come Hillsbrad. I shall be soulstoning myself from here on out.

You speak of Silverpine in ways that make me want to do it, now I’ll have to backtrack my lvl 33 hunter to do it, especially since she did Hillsbrad and that place felt like a schizophrenic place of both “gigglez” and DOOOM.

Normally, I don’t care for using the term “bipolar” to describe things other than the actual mental illness, but dear titans is Hillsbrad bipolar. Here’s the most horrificly gruesome acts ever perpetrated by the Forsaken, but awww look it’s Johnny being funny in the middle of it!

Grats on level 20! My Warlock Ironsally wanted me to clarify. Warlock Challenger = easymode, but she was created because Mage Challenger Ironmary makes me want to poke myself in the eye with a sharp stick when I play her.

But Psynister gave us budding Mages some advice so when I play her again I’m hoping it’s going to help but right now I can’t stop playing the Warlock!

My biggest concern about the warlock is that the Voidwalker will eventually be unable to withstand the incoming damage. At that point, there is little to no hope for the warlock. At best I would need to kill the mob in the time it takes to kill 3 voidwalkers, fearing and insta-summoning new voidwalkers with soulburn.

(Also, the fear damage threshold suuuuuucks. I dunno if its just being low level or something, but a couple of DoT ticks and the mobs running back at me.)

What is the Land of Odd?

Long ago, in like 2007, someone told this nutjob named Vrykerion that he should try writing down all his weird rants and observations about MMOs, video games, cartoons, D&D, comics and a bunch of other geeky things. He did. This is it. Welcome to the Land of Odd.